shudder 1 of 2

as in shiver
an instance of shaking involuntarily with fear or cold a shudder ran through him as he stepped outside into the snow

Synonyms & Similar Words

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shudder

2 of 2

verb

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shudder
Noun
For those still concerned with the club’s lack of attention to detail, Saturday night at Fenway Park probably led to some shudders. Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 15 June 2025 The band enlisted the great Mike Mills to direct, with Saoirse Ronan starring as an office worker who dances, squirms, shudders, and screams through her daily routine. Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 5 June 2025
Verb
The van shuddered, shifted gear. Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025 Many people will shudder in disgust at the sound of another person sneezing and coughing. Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for shudder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shudder
Noun
  • The parents of an older girl named Sarah Summers—the very name still carries a shiver of excitement—gave me her old clothes from time to time, in washed, folded stacks that were permeated with a middle-class laundry fragrance, the smell of another world, better than my own.
    Rachel Kushner, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Hank is a Dallas Cowboys diehard; the idea of Bobby getting into the Premier League sends him into full-body shivers.
    Jeremy Gordon, The Atlantic, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Kam Shanks could not shake Ole Miss' punt coverage team and Arkansas will start its first drive of the second half from the 9.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Sep. 2025
  • As Emmy celebrations peppered the town on Saturday night, a starkly differently occasion left attendees shaken, tearful and reminded of the immersive power of cinema.
    Stacey Wilson Hunt, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Furman is one of a kind: a trans, devoutly Jewish former rabbinical student who’s written a book about Lou Reed and sings folk-punk songs in a mercurial tremble.
    Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025
  • Valeria leaves guard duties to Ellen, a grandmother with a constant tremble in her hands from her MS.
    James Grebey, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • With an epic Oscar-winning title song by Streisand and tear-jerking scenes aplenty, this film is a perennial favorite and often referred to in pop culture.
    Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
  • One video posted to the social platform X appeared to show Kirk addressing the students, at one point speaking about gang violence, before being struck near the neck and later jerking to his left side.
    Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Cabinet is a quivering collection of yea-sayers.
    David Remnick, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2025
  • Hamill delivers this monologue with real passion, his raspy voice quivering with sincerity.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 28 July 2025
Verb
  • Microneedling is a treatment that uses thin, vibrating needles to puncture your skin.
    Carley Millhone, Health, 9 Sep. 2025
  • As internal organs make sounds, the diaphragm begins to vibrate.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Shudder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shudder. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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